Today’s was the first MacWorld keynote I’ve missed in three years, and I have to say, I really didn’t miss anything. But then again, it was quite clear Apple was making a half-hearted showing as it was, revealing none of the products people are most excited about <cough>Mac mini</cough> and announcing several products that are either predictable, uninspiring, or just plain obnoxious toward consumers. Is anyone excited about variable iTunes song pricing who doesn’t work for a record label? Anyone? Or how about the “Indiana Jones” effect for iMovie 09 so you can have a fake plane fly over a fake globe to represent travel? This was worth gathering the world’s technology media?

It’s probably for the best that Steve Jobs didn’t show.

But all of the above was apparent to anyone watching. What was left implicit, though it was communicated loud and clear, is the fact that Apple now has to put its money where its mouth is, having dismissed MacWorld’s trade show atmosphere, and put together some truly special product launch events very quickly. The biggest advantage to not making the first Tuesday of January the holy grail of Apple announcements is that Apple can announce products when they’re ready and as it suits them, instead of forcing stuff to be ready ahead of time for MacWorld (and to beat out the CES news cycle). In other words, Apple should let the rest of the month pass, and then make a major hardware introduction on every Tuesday in February, culminating in a press event on the last Tuesday of the month to unveil the much-anticipated new Mac mini (and with the 32-gig iPhone coming somewhere beforehand).

At the end of the day, Apple is probably logically right that MacWorld doesn’t make sense for them anymore. I think it’s ungrateful, given how much the enthusiast community saved Apple during the mid-’90s, but it probably is the right thing from a business standpoint. But it also feels like they deliberately left a lot out of today’s announcements, as if to emphasize their rejection of the trade show model. It just felt cheap, you know?

Online bookseller Books on Board brings some 20,000 e-book titles to your iPod Touch or iPhone.

From Clive Cussler to “Do-It-Yourself Hedge Funds,” there’s bound to be something for everyone. Prices range from about $14-19.

The nice thing: instead of a dedicated app that you can only use at Books on Board, the service piggybacks on free app Stanza.

If you want to try before you buy, they offer a few sample downloads gratis, mostly romance novels.

Via Textually

The media and the public trickled onto the Macworld exhibit floor in the wake of Phil Schiller’s Keynote speech Tuesday in San Francisco with a collective yawn, casting a sad and listless pall over Apple’s final year at the seminal trade show dedicated to Mac and Macintosh innovation. Gone was the excitement generated in recent years by the introduction of revolutionary new products such as iPod and iPhone. Gone was the sense that Steve Jobs contagious’ enthusiasm and obsessive secrecy could somehow reward us with ever more new, beautiful, elegantly designed products that would change our relationship to technology and with each other.

Instead, Schiller left the Apple community pondering battery life and notebook aftermarket resale values, wondering how a little face paint and eye shadow applied to iWork and iLife is going to drive increasing revenue to One Infinite Loop between the end of Macworld on Thursday and the next Cupertino Town Hall event sometime later this year.

One the surface of things, a mood that I might liken to one in a household where the divorce has been agreed to but not yet finalized, is curiously appropriate to the uncertain economic horizon each and every one of the hundreds of Macworld exhibitors – as well as, of course, the show’s anchor tenant – is facing.

Sure it would have been exhilarating for Phil Schiller to have whipped out a thoroughbred upgrade to the Mac mini today, or a revamped Apple TV that might challenge the assumptions of what an interface between the office and the living room could look like. But I talked to several long time Mac addicts on the floor this afternoon, who confided they were relieved not to be tempted by any groundbreaking hardware innovations from Apple – because big ticket expenditures of every stripe are on hold until further notice.

In its way, then, Apple proved it still has the pulse of its audience well in hand – why offer revolutionary new products that would require hundreds or thousands of dollars in new investment (not to mention the huge investment in manufacturing required to roll out new hardware) when the company can let its legions of loyal consumers who have already bought Macs and iMacs over the years try on new software outfits at $50 – $80 a pop? Lean times may be coming for everyone but by golly you can spend your downtime learning how to play guitar with John Fogarty and marvel at the face recognition amazements of new iPhoto software.

Some of the busier booths on the exhibit floor this afternoon were ones hawking accessory items costing well under $100. Big gear manufacturers with shiny new products costing in the hundreds and thousands of dollars, not so much. And the reps of a couple of those exhibitors told me some of the newest stuff they have at the show are just prototypes, with no big production commitments coming into place until the economy and consumer spending shows signs of taking an upturn.

Compared to recent years, Day 1 attendance was significantly lower, something I could tell in the sparse lines at the concession stands and in the reliability of the WiFi connections available throughout the hall. But fewer people were here today because Steve Jobs was not here today. Tomorrow, when you’d expect the attendees interested in Macworld regardless of Steve Jobs’ presence, we’ll get a better idea of just how deflated the Mac community is over Apple’s final Macworld appearance and a sense of how much air has gone out of what was until pretty recently a high-flying market for computer technology.

For me, the most interesting part of that keynote was the stuff about batteries. I think it’s safe to predict that similar long-life, non-replacable custom batteries will be appearing in the smaller Apple notebook computers in coming months.

Apple’s gone to great lengths to push this battery idea. Witness the expensively-produced video on the MacBook Pro page, that spends a lot of time explaining why it had to be this way. This shows that Apple expected some backlash.

The negative feelings on this issue runs deeper, though, thanks to a problem that’s industry-wide, not just confined to Infinite Loop.

The big hardware news from Macworld 2009 was not a new Mac mini, but rather an update to the 17″ MacBook Pro featuring the same precision aluminum unibody enclosure introduced on the MacBook and MacBook Pros unveiled in October. This new notebook features a built-in battery that Apple claims will deliver up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges, for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries. This design innovation is sure to have people lining up in short order on either side of the Apple is Awesome / Apple is Evil divide.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a high resolution LED-backlit display and the same large glass Multi-Touch trackpad introduced with the new MacBook family in October. In addition, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics and the latest generation Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors.

As part of what the company calls “the industry’s greenest notebook family”, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is made of highly recyclable materials, meets stringent energy efficiency standards and is made without many of the harmful toxins found in other computers.

Follow the jump for availability, pricing and full feature information on the new 17″ MacBook Pro.

Apple announced several changes to the iTunes Store today. All four major music labels–Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI, along with thousands of independent labels, now offer their music in iTunes Plus, Apple’s DRM-free format with higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality, which the cmpany claims is virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings.

iTunes customers can also choose to download their favorite songs from what it calls the world’s largest music catalog directly onto their iPhone 3G over the 3G network just as they do with Wi-Fi today, for the same price as downloading to their computer.

And beginning in April, based on what the music labels charge Apple, songs on iTunes will be available at one of three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29, with most albums still priced at $9.99.

None of this is earthshattering or unexpected, in fact, these changes have been rumored to be in the works for months. Still, it’s always good to see movement onward and upward.

Who says Apple has to roll out groundbreaking new hardware products to keep life interesting? Though the tweaks to its 17″ MacBook Pro (described in a post above) are noteworthy, upgrades to iLife, iWork and iTunes may end up having more relevance for more Mac users than any hardware introduction could.

Well, at least until we finally get that Mac Tablet, but that’s a story for another day.

Follow after the jump for details on the software upgrades rolled out today.

Well, there we have it: Phil Schiller’s delivered Apple’s final Macworld keynote while Jobs recuperates, and since Apple didn’t present a new iMac for $5, an iPhone the size of a window (and another the size of an SD card) and world peace, we can be sure its stock price will plummet accordingly.

If you took the sensible approach and didn’t have crazy expectations, this wasn’t a bad keynote, although it’s hardly going to go down as a particularly memorable one, which is a shame since it’s Apple’s last. Some of the new features in iLife ’09 (facial recognition in iPhoto, improved interface components in iMovie) and iWork ’09 look pretty good (although the full-screen view on Pages won’t wrench me away from WriteRoom any time soon), the online iWork demo seemed decent enough, and the 17″ MacBook Pro even throws pros a bone by offering a matte option. (Note, though, how the 24″ display you can hook it up to is glossy-only! Clearly, someone at Apple has a warped sense of humour, and I’ll bet it’s Mr. Jobs.)

There was one somewhat worrying aspect to the keynote, however, and that’s the way in which Apple was playing catch-up in the key area of music. Incredibly, the iTunes portion of the keynote was saved for Apple’s usual showstopping ‘last thing’. What we got: Apple canning its pricing structure to offer tiered pricing (boo!), but providing DRM-free tracks (hurrah!). In other words, it’s now the labels that have Apple by the short and curlies, finally forcing the Cupertino giant’s hand.

Being able to buy via cellular networks via iPhone is a nice touch, though, and could become a key differentiator in the long run, although that tiny slice of Apple won’t be enough to tempt me back from Amazon and Play.com just yet.

Minus a million points, though, for not getting Tony Bennett to sing out the keynote with: We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when, but I’m sure we’ll meet again some sunny day!

(Oh, and it’s now business as usual if you’re in the UK: with Sterling getting a kicking, Apple’s now seriously hedging its bets. The $169 Mac Box Set translates to a whopping £149 in the UK—I was hoping for £135, but then I’ve decided to be an optimistic sort this year.)

Five bright, whimsical designs from Paul Frank Industries are now iPhone 3G ready. Many feature Julius the monkey whose quirky mug bears a slight resemblance to designer Paul Frank Sunich, who founded the Southern California brand in 1995.

While the monkey will make it hard to get your iPhone confused with someone else’s, that funny face will cost you the Apple logo.

The silicone Paul Frank cases run about $30 online at the Apple store, where you can also find his regular iPhone cases and iPod cases, too.

Via Into mobile

A 27-year-old Aussie has turned iPhone fixing into a full-time job, but he finds his over 650 “patients” very demanding.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Rob Jacobs, who used to have a day job as a video editor, painted the picture of the weeping iPhone owner, desperate for a fix:

“The amount of phone calls I get after 10 o’clock at night. I have people coming from Newcastle waiting outside from 6.30am. People just turn up at the door, often in tears, saying ‘Please fix my phone.’ We are all iAddicted.”

Jacobs, who has been a full-time iDoc who also repairs iPods for nine months now, added that many iPhone owners were tied to phone contracts where service providers would not replace their phones once damaged.

Time for some iPhone DIY repairs? Maybe.

Via the Sydney Morning Herald

Geek blogger Chris Pirillo now has an iPhone application dedicated to him and all his prolific output: Follow Chris (iTunes Store link) is a single-person feed scraper and aggregator that pulls together content from Pirillo stuff posted on his personal site, Twitter, Lockergnome and the Geeks forum. That’s a lot of Pirillo.

But why?

I contacted developer Peter Birch (who, coincidentally, is based not far from me in Bristol) and asked him.

He told me it was just to make it easier to read all the Pirillo content that’s out there.

“I’ve been following Chris and his writing for about 12 months now. I like his stuff. Every day I wanted to see what was new and that meant checking a bunch of feeds or web sites. I just wanted to make it quicker and easier.”

So, for his very first iPhone app, Peter (normally a designer created something that aggregates a selection of feeds and puts them all together in an attractive app.

Sensibly, Peter did tell Chris what he was doing.

“I’ve told Chris about it and he thought it was a good idea. He’s given me some interesting suggestions for other apps.”

Indeed. It strikes me that this kind of single-subject or single-person aggregator might become very popular on the App Store. It would be trivially easy to build something for the internet superstar of your choice. A-list bloggers, this would be the perfect way to further inflate your already over-large egos.

Like I said, I rather think this kind of “ego app” will be very popular. If we’re lucky, it might even put the fart apps in the shade. Let’s hope so.

Google has entered the Mac side of free photo manipulation with the Monday release of Picasa for Mac. Although officially a beta version, the application previously limited to PC users is drawing positive comments from Apple iPhoto fans.

“Even though this early build of Picasa is missing some features, I’m going to use it and not iPhoto,” writes CNET‘s Rafe Needleman. The reviewer said Picasa’s features makes it the best option for day-to-day use.

Along with the usual ability to remove red-eye and basic photo editing, Picasa for the Mac integrates with Google’s free Web Albums, allowing photos to be easily shared. Apple requires the $99 annual Mobile Me online service, according to CNET.

Some features, such as geotagging and photos from your Webcam aren’t included in this beta version.

Google’s Picasa for Mac requires Mac OS 10.4 and an Intel-based system.

If you’ve ever balked at the cost of repairing your Apple gear, especially your iPhone or iPod, for example, consider what the repair shop is getting into when it receives your damaged product. As the gallery below of pictures detailing some of the intricacies involved in repairing the cracked glass touchscreen of an iPhone shows,

a) While the guys at iFixit are awesome and intrepid, and may even be willing to hold your hand through some processes, DIY repairs may not be the best route if you don’t like the prices Apple charges; and

b) your should consider device insurance and a replacement device if you have butterfingers and are afraid you may end up cracking your iPhone’s touchscreen.

We’re pretty sure that doublesided tape, portable hairdryers and big binder clips are not standard repair tools at the Apple authorized repair center near you, but hey, whatever works, right?

More photos and detailed repair descriptions are at TechRepublic.
All images © 2008, Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic.

Later today, a computer industry trade show will open in the San Francisco area.

Many thousands of computer users, software developers and IT professionals will be attending.

At some point, a senior executive from one of the better-known computer companies will stand up on stage and say a few words about forthcoming products and services.

The audience may get a little excited at this point.

Next up: Dave with the sport headlines.

The baked-in rumor news calls for a DRM-related shift in music pricing and portability on iTunes, an AT&T play for new revenues through “sanctioned” iPhone tethering plans, and yes, an upgraded Mac mini.

Phil Schiller’s Keynote is now less than two hours away and we’ll be down at San Francisco’s Moscone center throughout the day with live reports from the conference and our first impressions of what lies ahead for Apple and the Mac community.

Join us here and at Twitter for the latest frm Macworld 2009.

“The ‘Apple Community’ is now due an update in late spring, but until then the recovery will presumably be allowed to run its course without undue prying,” Oppenheimer told investors.

Monday, in an open letter, Jobs explained he suffered from a ‘hormone imbalance’ which caused his weight loss. Since September, when the Apple leader appeared frail and gaunt, fans and investors have speculated about his health and status as CEO.

Itunes fans may soon be able to purchase more songs free of copy-protections, the result of a reported break-through in negotiations with music publishers.

According to CNET, the changes could be announced as soon as Tuesday at Macworld Expo 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Apple reportedly has agreed to adopt a three-tier pricing plan, shifting from its previous demand for all songs to be sold for a single price. The change will allow Sony BMG, Universal and Warner Music to charge more for popular titles, according to sources sited by the report.

Responding to economic reality, Best Buy has begun selling refurbished iPhone 3Gs with a $50 discount, the electronics giant announced Tuesday.

A refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G returned a month after purchase will cost Apple fans $149, rather than $199 when bought new. A refurbished 16 GB Apple handset is priced at $249, rather than the original $299.

Owners of first-generation iPhones can also use the offer to upgrade to faster 3G versions, Best Buy told Reuters.

I still prefer the Mactini, myself. Although the next gen version without the screen sounds unbelievable.

Onion News Network: Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

“Dear Apple Community,”

→ Dear asshole bloggers,

“For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

“Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.”

→ You journalists are assholes too.

Bookmarklets are great little things. They’ve been proving themselves useful on desktop browsers for years, and are now getting an extra boost of interest from the iPhone community, because you can use them to make mobile Safari do more things.

The latest I’ve seen is Safari+, which is a collection of a dozen or so useful little commands that you might be used to using many times a day on your computer, but can’t use at all on the iPhone.

So if you’ve been looking for a way to Find in page, or Display all images, or List all links, or Translate to Norwegian on your iPhone – well, your problem has been solved.

An exhibitor at the upcoming Macworld Expo 2009 may have inadvertently lent credence to widespread rumors of an updated Apple Mac mini.

A press release from SeeFile software seems to say its digital media asset server will support “new Apple Mac Mini hardware,” according to Ars Technica.

The bit of PR may indicate the updated Mac mini will offer two optional internal hard drives. Previous minis sported only 160GB internal storage.

A week after one survey found the Mac OS share nearing 10 percent, the gains appear to be increasing as Apple continues to make headway against Windows, an analyst said Monday.

Shaw Wu, analyst with Kaufman Bros., told clients he sees only accelerating advances by Apple. December’s 9.6 percent marketshare for Mac OS X was 0.75 percent ahead of November, which also saw a 0.65 percent jump, Wu said.

Last week, Web tracking firm Net Applications announced the percentage of visits by Mac OS-based browsers in December rose to 9.6 from 8.9 percent. The latest figure is more than two points above a year ago, when Apple share reached a historic high: 7.3 percent.

Windows again lost ground in December, dropping to 88.7 percent of the market in December, the second percentage loss since November, when Redmond fell below the magic 90 percent of the OS market.

Even if you don’t jailbreak, step on or otherwise open up your iPhone you can wear the innards on your chest.

No further details about who came up with the idea on the dedicated Exploded Phone site, but the café press page describes the T-shirt as “an exploded view of my brother’s taken-apart phone. He’s going to kill me!”

While it doesn’t have the look-at-me cry of the faux Apple logo light up tee, it has geek appeal in spades.

Costs $20 in a bunch of styles and colors.

Via The Next Web

Palm will reportedly use the first day of CES to unveil a handset based on the long-awaited Nova operating system. The phone is seen as Palm’s best chance to recover from a disastrous 2008.

Citing a “trusted source,” CrunchGear says the handset to be released Thursday is described as “iPhone-like” with a potrait display and a slide-down QWERTY keyboard.

In December, Palm executive chairman Jon Rubinstein told BusinessWeek the device would bridge the gap between the BlackBerry and iPhone. Rubinstein, credited with helping develop the iMac and iPod, joined Palm in 2007 when private equity firm Elevation Partners provided $325 million for a stake in the company. Last month, Elevation gave Palm another $100 million.